Boost Your Immunity Naturally

With the onset of the rain in the beautiful Pacific Northwest I am reminded that cold and flu season is just around the bend. Instead of waiting for the cold or flu to hit me and keep me out of commission for several days, I like to start with some preventative measures.

In talking with a lot of my patients, I have come to the realization that not everyone understands the impact of a healthy diet and lifestyle can have on our immunity. A diet that is rich in colorful fruits and vegetables and low in added sugars and simple carbohydrates reduces inflammation, allowing the immune system to focus energy on staving off illness.

You might be asking yourself, how does food increase my inflammation and what does that have to do with my immune system. When we eat sugar or simple carbohydrates like; donuts, cake, bread, pasta, white potatoes, white and brown rice, etc... and drink sweetened fruit juices or soda our bodies respond by quickly converting these foods/drinks into glucose to feed our organs. If all of that glucose isn't consumed by our organs, it leads to increased glucose in our blood stream. This glucose causes pro-inflammatory cytokine activation and leads to cellular damage. With that damage, our bodies immune system is activated and sent in to repair the damage. If there is constant inflammation and damage, then the immune cells become overwhelmed and are unable to respond appropriately when there is an offending pathogen like the viruses and bacteria that cause influenza and the common cold. Exercise can help to reduce the burden on the immune system by increasing the consumption of glucose. When we exercise we work to increase our muscle mass and muscle uses glucose for energy, therefore, the more muscle we have the less inflammation we will have and our immune cells will be free'd up to fight off illness. 

In addition to poor diet and lifestyle negatively affecting the immune system, stress and lack of sleep are also major contributors to inflammation and reduced immunity. When we experience stress, our adrenal glands release cortisol to respond to the stressor. Cortisol, like glucose, is pro-inflammatory increasing the burden on our immune system. When we sleep, our parasympathetic nervous system is activated and our cortisol levels drop allowing our bodies to heal from the damage and stressors of the day. If we are constantly stressed, then our parasympathetic nervous system is deactivated and we continue to have elevated cortisol levels while we sleep. I know when I am stressed, I end up lying in bed wishing I could sleep, which then increases my stress even more because I know I am not healing and rejuvenating...so up and up go my cortisol levels. This is where stress reduction comes into play to help boost your immunity. Simply taking deep breaths that fill our abdomen will activate the parasympathetic nervous system and just like that our cortisol levels will decrease, we will be able to get restful sleep and POOF down goes our inflammation. 

If you are anything like me, I have a hard time conceptualizing how the immune system is doing the work of fighting off the offenders. Our innate immune system is actually quite intricate and when not overwhelmed by inflammatory states is a well oiled machine. Throughout our body we have immune hubs called lymph nodes, you've probably heard of these, within these hubs there's a whole host of immune cells ready to take action when signaled. When a virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite is introduced into our bodies we have cells called B cells that have little receptors on them.

The receptors recognize the pathogen and become activated by a T-Helper cell. Once the B cell is activated, it divides and becomes a plasma cell and a memory cell. The memory cell will stay in the body to respond to that pathogen if re-infection happens. The plasma cell then releases antibodies that attach to the pathogen to signal to the macrophage "eater cell" to engulf the pathogen and prevent it from causing infection. In addition to the immune cells, once there is an active infection, the body increases temperature to help kill the pathogen. This is where fever comes in. Fever is, contrary to popular belief, really important for immune function if it doesn't get too high that is. With a low-mid grade fever (less than 103 degrees F) it is best to allow the fever to work it's magic.

Now that we understand what is happening inside our lymph nodes, we can discuss ways to increase the effectiveness of those immune cells. There are all kinds of herbs, vitamins and minerals that can help to fight off a current infection and/or prevent infection at all. I will include a few of the top ones here. 

Vitamin C is one you have probably heard of before, but you may not know how it works to improve your immune function. Vitamin C works to increase the body's white blood cells that are responsible for fighting off pathogens that have the potential to cause disease. Vitamin E and A increase the response of the antibodies and decreases inflammation.

Zinc is another mineral that has a big impact on the immune system. Zinc increases the production of immune cells in the thymus gland and reduces the effects of free radicals on the tissues in the body. Free radicals are very inflammatory and reduce the ability for the body to fight acute and chronic disease. It is important to note that zinc, taken in increased doses for an extended period of time, can be damaging to the body and offset the level of homeostasis.

Elderberry and echinacea are two herbs that are imperative for preventing primarily viral infections, which are the most common cause of upper respiratory infections. These two herbs, in combination, are powerhouses to help enhance the activity of the macrophages and immune function.

In addition to the vitamins, minerals and herbs listed, there are many other anti-inflammatories that increase the immune system and prevent acute and chronic illness and disease. If you like what you read here today, stay tuned for more posts about disease prevention, hormone balance and pain relief.

As with every post, all of the information listed in this post is for educational purposes only, using vitamins, minerals and herbs may interact with medications and underlying conditions. It is important to discuss any information with a qualified healthcare provider.

To find a qualified ND in your area go to AANP Provider Search or to your local state association. If you are in SW Washington go to Zara Clinic to schedule a New Patient visit with me.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Michelle Williams

All images obtained from pixabay.com